Girls basketball: Mike Ciardella is back on the bench at Mills

One of the most successful girls basketball coaches in Central Coast Section history is back on the bench.

Mike Ciardella is serving as an assistant coach to Dave Matsu with the Mills High girls basketball team. And, perhaps not so coincidentally, the Vikings are in first place with an 8-0 record in the Peninsula Athletic League South Division, heading into Wednesday’s game at second-place Carlmont.

“It’s been fun,” Ciardella said. “I’m having a good time.”

Ciardella coached Sacred Heart Prep to four consecutive state championships from 1993-1996.

After leaving the college ranks in 2012 where he was serving as an assistant at Notre Dame de Namur, Ciardella assisted Jenny Circle, a former player of his at SHP, last season at Kehillah Jewish School in Palo Alto.

“Great kids, great students, but basketball was basically at the junior varsity level,” Ciardella said. “I like it a little more competitive.”

Ciardella, 66, thought maybe it was time to retire. But then Matsu called, asking if Ciardella would be interested in joining him at Mills. And that was an invitation Ciardella had a hard time turning down.

He and Matsu go way back. Ciardella coached Matsu at Burlingame Intermediate School, but they go even further back than that.

“I remember Dave when he was a fourth-grader playing in the Burlingame Recreation Department,” Ciardella said.

Ciardella hired Matsu to be his assistant at Mercy-Burlingame. Then when Ciardella left to be the head coach at Sacred Heart Prep, Matsu got his first high school head coaching job at Mercy. Matsu followed Ciardella to Sacred Heart Prep, where he was the girls junior varsity coach before coming back to Mills, his alma mater.

“It’s very special, I have a great legend with me in Mike Ciardella,” Matsu said. “He makes me a better coach every day.”